Pioneering Spirit: Speake-Marin

By Elizabeth Doerr

Having produced a world premiere at SalonQP, boutique brand
Speake-Marin honours its founder's past while looking forward to a
spirited future.

In the modern age Britain has,
unfortunately, produced few watchmakers of note. The good old days
were full of them: historical names such as Graham and Mudge, who
had ideas that changed the face of watchmaking. And, whereas it
could be said that modern British watchmaking began with George
Daniels and his handmade style of inventiveness (continued today by
Roger Smith), there is one Brit who has opted for a decidedly
different approach and migrated to Switzerland to achieve it.

Peter
Speake-Marin is a watchmaker in constant transformation, having
gone from restorer to developer and now to the face of a brand. His
independent style of watchmaking incorporates traditional artisanal
processes as well as modern manufacturing methods. Such
transformation, almost like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, is
hard to do without losing soul and sight. However, Speake-Marin is
managing the process beautifully.

Spirited
timepiece

The newest step of this transformation
process, which sees Speake-Marin moving from 'independent' to
'boutique brand', is a timepiece that honours fans and aficionados
of the maker and bares a part of Speake-Marin's own soul. As
Speake-Marin has thus far specialised in timepieces for collectors
that have cost upwards of SFr.50,000 and produced no more than 200
pieces per year, they have been quite inaccessible for the 'Average
Joe'. However, the eloquent AHCI member has amassed quite a
following over the years. The Spirit Pioneer, which debuted at
SalonQP, is a 68-piece limited edition that retails for 'only'
SFr.9,200, making it relatively affordable - or at least accessible
- for fans. If they can get one, that is.

The Spirit Pioneer is a 38mm stainless
steel beauty housed in one of Speake-Marin's typical cases from the
Piccadilly line. And the case isn't the only element taken from
previous Speake-Marin watches: the hands are also the same shape as
those on the experienced watchmaker's original Foundation Watch,
which is currently undergoing refurbishment. Turning the watch
over, one finds Speake-Marin's typical rotor winding Calibre
FW2012.

The characteristic crown and robust lugs
guarantee that Spirit is a watch that will last.

Style departure

Upon seeing this watch, the immediate
thoughts for a watch connoisseur concern its style departure: this
is the debut of an aviation-style timepiece within Speake-Marin's
collection, and the first piece to bear a black dial.

"Spirit is inspired by a timepiece I
bought 15 years ago when I was restoring antique pieces in
Piccadilly," the 43-year-old watchmaker explains. "It was an
authentic military watch from the first half of the 20th century [a
vintage Longines] that I restored in my own time and wore regularly
as my own timekeeper. I always wanted to create my own piece based
on this personal favorite and have toyed around with ideas to
realise this ambition ever since I founded Speake-Marin."

This new model symbolises even more to
Speake-Marin. Firstly, it is an 'affordable' Speake-Marin created
at least in part as a gesture to the many fans wishing to own one
of his timepieces. This was made possible by the use of the rest of
his stock of Calibre FW2012, an automatic ETA-based movement that
he also used in the original Piccadilly line. Its bridges, gear
train, setting lever spring, base plate and rotor wheel were
replaced and/or redesigned. The whole movement has been polished
and finished by hand with perlage and straight graining. But don't
think that this is an off-the-rack ETA movement - it has been
customised, redesigned, reconstructed and hand-finished according
to Speake-Marin's house style and quality standards. Spirit's
limitation of 68 pieces is a natural one dictated by the number of
movements he had left.

Peter
Speake-Marin.

Get the message

Most striking and telling, however, is
the message engraved onto the case back: "Fight, Love &
Persevere." This message from the watchmaker is simultaneously a
sort of a personal motto.

"The global economic downturn and
natural disasters of the past few years have meant that people all
over the world - myself included - have had to face up to
increasing challenges that can test the limits of endurance," he
explains. "But what has struck me in my experiences is the drive
people possess to fight on, to adapt and to forge forward, with
their capacity for love never diminishing. The themes of
determination, tenacity and love were at the forefront of my mind
when I created this timepiece and so I have paid tribute to them by
christening it 'Spirit' and by engraving the motto on the
caseback."

With its casual appearance, it has the
ability to appeal to a wide audience. While the 38mm case diameter
may not be a Panerai lover's cup of tea, the size of this stainless
steel timepiece is authentic and classic. The sophisticated and
friendly black lacquered dial is eminently legible both day and
night as a good pilot's watch should be. The quality and thought
process allow even the most casual observer to see that this is a
genuine Speake-Marin, from the inside out. England should be
proud.